Rachel's Blogs
A Diagnosis of Inclusion for all Women 35-65?
Any steps towards inclusivity in societal & cultural terms are cause for celebration but in medicine, that can come in the form of a 'diagnosis of inclusion', the opposite, of course, of a 'diagnosis of exclusion' and potentially as slippery and loose as it...
Is Our Education At Risk Of A Being An Echo Chamber
Recently I asked practitioners to tell me where the 'therapeutic reference range' many of us were taught for nutrients comes from & no one has been able to answer that.🙄 If you've heard me refer to my original naturopathic education before you'll know I...
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A Diagnosis of Inclusion for all Women 35-65?
Any steps towards inclusivity in societal & cultural terms are cause for celebration but in medicine, that can come in the form of a 'diagnosis of inclusion', the opposite, of course, of a 'diagnosis of exclusion' and potentially as slippery and loose as it...
Is Our Education At Risk Of A Being An Echo Chamber
Recently I asked practitioners to tell me where the 'therapeutic reference range' many of us were taught for nutrients comes from & no one has been able to answer that.🙄 If you've heard me refer to my original naturopathic education before you'll know I...
Unmasking Hyperparathyroidism: The Dark Side of a Superhero Second Messenger
Let's play a word association game of minerals & their major roles I say, 'Potassium'. Maybe you say, 'Sodium Potassium Pump' I say, 'Magnesium'. You say, 'Muscles?' I say, 'Calcium'. You say, "Bones'.... But I say, Second Messenger. And arguably the most...
🔔🔔Round 2: Generalist V Specialist
Current New Graduate Mentee: Kelly Allan giving her elevator introduction in a recent New Grad mentoring session The fabulous Nina,...
Some Cracking! Cases
Practitioners have been bringing their most challenging cases to me for mentoring & supervision for over a decade, that's hundreds, in fact, probably thousands, of cases, tempting me to say, therefore I've seen 'everything'. Except of course I haven't. And each...
Ever Watch Yourself Back Like…[Generalist V Specialist]
ALL • THE • TIME Especially given I am now a relic, my original training not quite pre-industrial revolution but pre-specialisation obsession. So that once I started seeing paying patients I just saw, and have seen...everyone. And because our patients always drive...
Time for Change
After running a deeply rewarding Group Mentoring program for over a decade it is indeed time for change. I've witnessed first-hand the exceptional growth of thousands of practitioners, and in turn they have guaranteed and forged my own. It's provided me, & my...
Thyroid V Virus – Not New Just Ask Fritz
Ever feel like the universe has been preparing you just for this moment? Me neither really…but in this one weird way – yes! So hear me out. Thyroid disease as a result of a viral infection was first described in 1902 by Dr Fritz De Quervain and of course he and his...
What If We Had It All Wrong?!
I shared this recently on socials but for those of us that don't hang around that 'hood I am sharing again here because it is just too important. While we're busy updating our knowledge regarding reproductive health for women (soooo many huge headlines of...
Health is in the Eye of the Beholder
Just last week the sickest patient I've encountered this year (& for perhaps some time) asked me, if I ever see really sick people. This 60 something-year-old farmer has a great sense of humour, so I immediately thought he was joking but as soon as I looked up...
Individualising Adiposity
The debasing of BMI as a stand-alone assessment of weight is long overdue given its significant limitations and lack of meaningfulness with respect to overall health. This coincides with a bigger societal and cultural shift towards inclusivity which...
Getting Some Pathology Perspective
The builder responsible for my reno arrived one day with a frown. When I asked him what was wrong - he said he'd just had his second high PSA result and now the doctor wants him to see a specialist. It was apparent that he felt this was a real cause for concern. Talk...
Are We Still Talking About Histamine?!
Heck yeah. It's going to take a lot more than 1 push-back post to turn this ship around! Likewise, I was only getting started with my recent Update in Under 30 episode, 'What's Hiding Behind Histamine' 🤓😂 & part 2 has just been released where we...
MasterCourse I Price Freeze Ends 30th July
Never done a MasterCourse in Diagnostics with me? Is that because you're scared of... a) investing that...
The Ultimate Pageturner: The Thyroid Biography Of Every Patient
Have you had a book that is so compelling & transporting you can't put it down? In the last year or so I've rewritten my own little book of sorts, on thyroid physiology and results interpretation and during that process I came across a paper that referred...
More Histamine Intolerance? Really?! 🤐
I can barely bring myself to write the word given how overused it has been of late 🤐🙄😯😕🙃 But I gotta say something! If we have found ourselves currently in a place where every second (or indeed single!) patient has a 'histamine...
Everyday Q&As – Pathology Indicators Of Hypercortisolism
The case of a slim 41YOF under very high stress due to marriage separation & the care of 2 young kids was presented in mentoring this month. Her a.m. Cortisol was 710 nmol/L - Rachel asked the group to identify 3 results in her routine labs that are consistent...
What do you know about Black Pepper?
I am just back from the NHAA Symposium - all informationed-up and raring to share!! LOL I learned some great stuff about Black Pepper and that made me think about a case from mentoring last month🤓 One of the presentations was from Jason Hawrelak during which...
Another Iron Question For Us All
What level of Serum Ferritin represents 'empty'? As in complete depletion of iron stores? Is it any value below the minimum of the reference range? e.g. < 30 mcg/L Or does the bottom of the reference range allow for a buffer and 'empty' is substantially lower than...
Everyday Q&As – HPA and Sleep Disorders
Practitioner: I haven't yet done the MasterCourse II in Thyroid & Adrenal Diagnostics but I want to better understand the HPA of that patient we discussed with significant sleep disorders. Waking blood? Saliva? Urine? Which one? Rachel: Well, you've heard me say...
Everyday Q&As – More Postnatal Iodine (Not) Fun
Rachel: And sometimes emails from practitioners provide me with both the question and their own answer to their question even! Cameron Barker's (Ex-student long-term learner & mentee) email arrives titled: Unexpected Source of Iodine in Placenta Caps?! A 32 yo...